Weekly Holiday Allowance in Korea: Calculation Guide for Foreign Workers
What Is Weekly Holiday Allowance (주휴수당)?
Weekly holiday allowance (주휴수당) is a statutory benefit based on Article 55 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제55조). Employers must guarantee one paid weekly holiday (주휴일) to any worker who has attended all scheduled workdays in a given week, and the wage paid for that paid holiday is the weekly holiday allowance. It applies equally to full-time employees and to part-time or short-hour workers such as those in part-time jobs (아르바이트).
Conditions for Weekly Holiday Allowance
To receive weekly holiday allowance, both of the following conditions must be met:
- Scheduled weekly working hours of 15 hours or more
- Perfect attendance on all scheduled workdays in that week
Ultra-short-hour workers (초단시간 근로자) whose scheduled weekly hours are less than 15 are excluded from weekly holiday allowance under Article 18, Paragraph 3 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제18조 제3항). In addition, if a worker is absent without leave (unauthorized or unapproved absence) in a given week, no weekly holiday allowance arises for that week. Being late or leaving early does not, in principle, affect perfect-attendance status, but company rules or employment regulations (취업규칙) may provide otherwise.
Note for foreign workers: Your employment contract may specify terms beyond the statutory minimum — always check whether your contract matches or exceeds these legal requirements.
Weekly Holiday Allowance Calculation Formula
Full-time Workers (40-hour week)
For a worker on a standard schedule of 5 days a week, 8 hours a day, the weekly holiday allowance is calculated as daily scheduled hours (8 hours) × hourly wage.
Example: Hourly wage of KRW 10,030 (2026 minimum wage) × 8 hours = KRW 80,240
Short-hour Workers (Part-time, etc.)
When scheduled weekly hours are less than 40, the weekly holiday allowance is calculated on a pro-rata basis.
Formula: (Weekly scheduled hours ÷ 40 hours) × 8 hours × hourly wage
Example: 20 scheduled hours per week, hourly wage KRW 10,030
→ (20 ÷ 40) × 8 × 10,030 = KRW 40,120
This formula is consistently applied in administrative interpretations issued by the Ministry of Employment and Labor (고용노동부 행정해석, 근로기준정책과).
Frequently Confused Points
Q. Do I receive more weekly holiday allowance if I work 6 days a week?
Weekly holiday allowance is determined by whether the worker attended all scheduled workdays; overtime or holiday work hours are not included in the base hours for calculation. Furthermore, even if actual hours exceed 40 per week, the calculation cap remains at 40 hours.
Q. Does weekly holiday allowance arise in the final week of employment?
According to Supreme Court precedent (대법원 2019다14046, etc.), weekly holiday allowance does arise in the final week of employment if the worker attended all scheduled workdays, even if the employment relationship ends the following day. However, disputes sometimes arise in practice over whether the date of resignation falls before or after the weekly holiday.
Q. Can a contract include weekly holiday allowance within the stated hourly wage?
A contract that bundles weekly holiday allowance into the hourly rate (포괄임금 형태) is permissible, but it is essential to verify that the arrangement does not violate the minimum wage. If the effective hourly rate — inclusive of the bundled weekly holiday allowance — falls below the statutory minimum wage (시간급), it is unlawful.
Calculate Instantly with Bylaw (바이로)
If calculating weekly holiday allowance feels complicated, use the weekly holiday allowance calculator at Bylaw (workbylaw.com). Simply enter your hourly wage and weekly working hours to instantly see your weekly holiday allowance and total weekly pay. If you want to check whether your contract is legally compliant, also try Bylaw's contract review feature.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific cases, consult a certified labor attorney (노무사) or lawyer.